Child&#39;s vehicle.



A. D. CONVERSE. CHILS'VEHICLE. APPLICATION HLED 1AN.22.1918.

lzlfonfd Juno 11, i918.

the character mentioned embodying'my in 'ventlon THERTON D. CGNVERSE, F WINCHENDON,

MASSACHUSETTS.

CHILDS VEHICLE.

Application filed 'January 22, 1918. Serial No.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ATHERTQN D. Conversn, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Winchendon, liVorcester county, Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Childrens Vehicles, of which the following is a specifica tion.

My invention relates to the vehicles used y children and known in the trade as a riddie-horse, it being adapted to be propelled by the child seated thereon pushing with his feet against the floor, or ground.

Devices of this character as usually constructed have a flat body or seat with wheels at the back under said seat, a steering head or post swiveled at the front of said body and a vwheel or wheels on the lower end of said head or: post.

One object of the present invention is to provide a lmock-down form of device, whereby the front steering post with 'the handles, the horses head, if such be used, and the front wheel or wheels .may be detached from the body and packed in knock d down condition, the assembling by the merchant or user being rendered easy and requiring no skill beyond that of a person of ordinary intelligence.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the features and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.l

In the accompanying drawings;

Figure 1 is a plan view of the device ot Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a front view. s Fig. 4.-.is a detail sectional view ot the `1-upper and lower portions ofthe steering postor head, and the` block serving as a bearing therefor. and the connecting means between the said upper and lower portions serving as the swivel pin, or journal ot' the Specification o' Letters Patent.

Patented Il une it, tenias. 213,199.

1n the general form of a horses head, org-f other suitable form lower part 4, which carries at its lower end the journal pin or pins for the front wheel or wheels and the connecting member 4:, which forms the journal or swivel pin for the steering head or post, this connection finding a bearing in .L block or member 5, consisting oi" an upper wedge shaped portion. 5EL and a lower portion 5' formed with or attached thereto and having its rear end 5C extending beyond the rear end of the upper wedge portion. The upper wedge portion tapers rearwardly and is adapted to fit in a socket or opening 6 in the front portion or" the body, this opening corresponding in shape to that of the upper wedge shaped portion 5a of the bearing block, this portion being ofthe same thickness meas ured vertically as the thickness of the body, so that when thwedge member is in place its upper tace is flush with the upper face of the body, and therefore the extension or rear end 5C of the lower part of the bearing block ts with its upper face c'lose against the lower tace of the body. This extended' end 5 has an opening1 7 adapted to receive a screw 8, so that in assemblingthe head or steering member with the body it is, only necessary to thrust the wedge block 5 into its seat or opening 6 in the body, as far as it will go, thus making a close fit between its edges and the edges of 4the` opening and whereupon the block may be fixed in position by inserting the screw 8 in the opening 7 and screwingit into the body.

lt will be observed lfrom Fig'. 5 that. the lower portion 5b of the bearing block extends laterally beyond thc sides of the wedge shaped member 5a and when the bearing block is in place vthese lateral ledges fit closely against the underside of the body, and afford a support thereer.` Should either part shrink this will make no difference in the assembling as it is only necessary to seat the wedge firmly in the socket or recess 6, and secure the block by the screw. all of which may be done by an un- Skilled person with little or no instruction.

The journal member e" of the head may be pleasing to children, a.

ilo

`lection of the post or head from of different forn1s,-but it preferred to use a tube ol' comparatively thin nietal and for securing this to the. upper and lower parts oli the steering head or post nails or pins t) may be used, driven through the parts including` the metal tubing and these nails may go entirely through the tube or through one side and so far through the other side to dent the metal thereof into the surrounding Wood.

In order to afford a durable and goed Wearing bearing for the swivel pin, instead of allowing it to {ind a bearing, in the Wood of the body, as sometimes has been done, said bearing is provided in the block. This block is of greater vertical thickness than the body ineinber and thus a long bearing is aorded for 'the pin to turn in and this is of advantage even though the pin turns against the wood, but the best construction is that illustrated in which metal plates l() are let into the 'upper and lower faces of the bear ing bloc-k, the recesses in which the plates lie being of a depth equal to the thickness ot the plates.l so that the outer facer; ot the plates are flush with the upper and lower faces ol'A the bearing block. The recesses are conveniently and economically made by cut y ting the recesses tlln'ough to the side edgesl of the block, and the plates fit in the rccesses closely and are held therein by screws 11. These plates have circular openings receiving the connecting journal pin which thus finds metallic hearinqs at the upper and lower faces of the. bearing block, which being of considerably greater thickness than .the body member. locates these bearings at comparatively widely separated points, thus in the highest degree. acting to prevent dea vertical position. l/Vashers l2 are employed between the top and bottom of the biaringi block and the adjaceilt portions of the head or post.

The scope of the invention is not limited to the details of construction Shown. the latter illustrating one embodiment of the invention.

Instead of using a screw Jfor holding the bearing block in place this may be secured by a Wing-nut, as shown in Fig. 7.) the Stem of which passes through a notch '13 in the bearing block.

As above stated the bearing' block may be in tivo pieces. These niay'be nailed together as at lll.

What l elaini is:

l. lnl combination, in a device ot' the character described. a body n'ieinber having noemen' a rece:-s extending;l in from iii-1 i ine block filling said recess. a ranged .steering post. journaleii in line' bloclr. and located with. iis i the limits of the recess and nur( tachahly holdingthe bearing` bloclf` within he recess, substantially as described.

.ln combination, in a device oi the character described, a body meinlier havingl a recess, a bearing block reinovcibl lifter! at sai-1l recess, a steering post bam i reflui-,ml journal portion turning;A in the l; ire bloeit, the upper enlarged part ol: said vvorlr ing over the upper :i'acioil the bony and the enlarged lower part of said ,mast working over the .lower liaee o'i the bearing; block, substantially as deserilrioil.

ln coinbina' ion 'in a device nl? the character described, a body li'ieniber having a recess extei'idinp; in 'lil-oni its edgy; a bearii block litted in said recess. nieans ttor lining;H the bearing blockY in said recess, and a steering; head or post mounted in said block. said recess and blocl; being oli wei u e shape with the small end oi the wedge .urination directe-il inwardly, substantial lv at described..

slrln coinhinatimi in a. de Lec ol? the character dcscrilwd7 a body ineniber having a rc cess e,\:lc1nling in 'troni its edge.. a bearing block itted in said recess` means toifixing the bearing block in said recess. and a steering head or post mounted in said block, said bearing; bloeit having; a portion lappingr upon i -d body nxelnbcr, and carrying the tace oi sai the said lining means.

5J ln combination in a device of' the chz'iracter deer-ril fd. a body member having a recess extending' in troni its edge, a bearing block .fitted to said recess, means tor fixing the bearing; block in said recess. and a steering; head or post mounted in said block, said bearing block havingl a portion lapping upon the ui'ulcraide oli said body member.

(i. ln combination in a device actor described, af' body xneinberhav'ing a recess extending in from its edge., a bearing block fitted 'to said recess, means for iixing the bearing block in said recess, and a steer ing head or postinolmted in said block, said bea-ring" block havingma ATHERTON l). CONVlldSll.l

ol? the char- I 

